Method and an apparatus for safe packing

ABSTRACT

A method and an apparatus to prevent items from shifting in a luggage or a container when moving or traveling are disclosed. The method and apparatus also protects fragile items from getting broken when the luggage or container is transported.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority of the U.S. provisional application No. 60/796,844 filed on May 2, 2006

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to transportation containers and luggage and more particularly it relates to a method and apparatus to prevent items from shifting or getting broken in the container or luggage while moving or during travel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People traveling a lot are very familiar with the fact that even if they have suitcases of various shapes and sizes there is often empty space left in the suitcase. Even if the suitcases usually have means to stabilize the packed items, often the items still move in the suitcase during the travel. This again leads to a situation that the garments for example get wrinkled during the travel and thus are not readily to be used when unpacking. Moreover, fragile items may get broken during the travel. Similar problems may be encountered when sending items in a box, container or similar structure by any transportation means. It is a well known practice to wrap fragile items into multiple sheets of paper or bubble plastic to prevent the items from shifting and breaking in the box while moving the box.

Attempts have been made to improve the attachment of the items in the suitcases. In addition to various kinds of clips and strings in the suitcase there are also applications involving inflatable inserts that are to protect the packed items during travel. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,870 discloses an inflatable bladder that is to be inserted into the suitcase to protect the items.

There are not many improvements available for protecting items in moving boxes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,244 provides a method for forming inflated wrapping bags, but this method is designed for manufactures or other industrial entities only as it requires heat sealing equipment.

The drawback in the approaches currently known is that the inflatable bladder is to be inflated before the suitcase or the box is closed. This means that the bladder may after all not fill the empty spaces in the suitcase or box but merely give a cushion effect, thereby protecting the items from breaking during movements but not protecting them from moving.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method and an apparatus that would protect the packed items from moving and from breaking. The current disclosure provides a method and an apparatus to protect the items in the suitcase or a box but also to fix them in the original position by preventing them from moving during travel. The current disclosure also provides a method and an apparatus to fill the empty places in a suitcase, box or other structure fully with air.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention provides a solution to the problems encountered by the currently known approaches. The purpose of the current invention is to provide an apparatus to protect the items in the suitcase or a box but also to fix them in the original position by preventing them from moving during travel.

According to one embodiment of the current invention the compartment divider of a regular suitcase is made of plastic instead of plain cardboard or other regularly used material. According to this embodiment the compartment divider is an inflatable bladder like divider and it fixes the items in the suitcase in fixed positions and fills the empty space in between the items.

According to another embodiment the compartment divider comprises two cardboards, or one cardboard and one wall of the suitcase, and an inflatable plastic bladder attached in between of the rigid cardboards or the suitcase wall and the cardboard. According to this embodiment the divider is a rigid element and the inflatable element is between the cardboards.

The suitcase is packed as usually and the compartment divider regardless of whether is comprises only the bladder or additionally the cardboards is laid down on top of the packed items as usually. The other half of the suitcase is packed as usually and the suitcase is closed. The compartment divider is inflated after the suitcase is closed through a valve that is outside of the suitcase. The compartment divider may be inflated by using a hand held pump or any manual or automatic system (compress air cartridge).

According to another embodiment the compartment divider or an inner wall of the suitcase comprises extendable material that can react for example to change of temperature or air pressure. When the suitcase is, for example, in the luggage compartment of an airplane where both temperature and air pressure decrease the extendable material would inflate and thereby protect the items inside the suitcase.

According to yet another embodiment the inflatable bladder is used in a box to prevent items shifting in the box while moving.

Yet another embodiment is a box or suitcase where the inner side of the box or the suitcase is covered with an inflatable bladder which when inflated can protect the items from each side of the box or suitcase.

Still another embodiment of this invention provides inflatable bags where fragile items may be packed individually in a suitcase or in a box or any other container to prevent them getting broken. The bag may be made of one layer and the air is to be inflated into the bag, or the bag may be made out of two layers and the air is inflated in between of the two layers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an open suitcase with a compartment divider.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closed suitcase with an inflated compartment divider

FIG. 3 illustrates a closed suitcase having the valve in the top wall.

FIG. 4 illustrates a closed suitcase where the inflatable compartment divider is inflated with a pump through a valve positioned on the top wall.

FIG. 5 illustrates a closed suitcase where the inflatable compartment divider is attached to the side wall of the suitcase and the valve locates on the side wall thereby allowing inflation of the divider through the seam along which the divider is attached to the wall.

FIG. 6 is a view of the bottom of a suitcase where the pump is fixed into a compartment between the wheels of the suitcase.

FIG. 7 illustrates closed suitcases where the inflatable compartment divider comprises two card boards and an inflatable bladder like element in between of the card boards. The divider is attached to the side wall of the suitcase and the valve locates on the side wall thereby allowing inflation of the divider through the seam along which the divider is attached to the wall. The divider comprises two card boards that may be attached to the side wall so that they form an angle when the bladder is inflated or alternatively they may be parallel whereby they also move parallel when the bladder is inflated.

FIG. 8 illustrates a closed suitcase, where the inflatable bladder like element is between two cardboards and the cardboards are pressed together to with a clip and the bladder is empty.

FIG. 9 illustrates a box, where the inflatable divider is attached to the lower part of the box. In the figure the cardboards form an angle when the bladder is infiltrated, but as well the cardboards can be attached parallel.

FIG. 10 illustrates a box, where the inflatable divider is attached to the cover part of the box.

FIG. 11 illustrates a bag inflated with air via a valve after packing a fragile item in the bag and closing the bag with a zipper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION O PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, an improved suitcase embodying the present invention is described.

The improved suitcase according to the present invention includes a suitcase (1) or a box (16) with a compartment divider (2). The compartment divider is a fixed portion of the suitcase or box being attached to a bottom (3), top (4) or side (5) wall of the suitcase or to any wall of the box. The compartment divider may be made of two cardboards (10) and include an inflatable bladder like element (14) in between of the cardboards. The compartment can also be made by one cardboard and the largest wall of the suitcase as fixed element with an inflatable bladder like element (14) in between of the suitcase wall and the cardboard. Alternatively the divider is a bladder and it made out of plastic or any other material that can form such a bladder. The compartment divider is inflatable and deflatable through a valve (6) that locates outside the suitcase or the box, or inserted in any wall or element of the suitcase or the box, thereby enabling inflating and deflating the compartment divider when the suitcase or the box is closed. This allows the user to fill the compartment divider to the exact amount that is needed in order to fill in all the empty places in the suitcase or the box.

FIG. 1 illustrates a suitcase (1) with an inflatable bladder like compartment divider (2). According to this embodiment the divider (2) is attached to the seam between the bottom wall (3) and a side wall (5) of the suitcase.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closed suitcase with a bladder like compartment divider (2) that is filled exactly so that it fills the empty spaces between the items (13) in the suitcase. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the divider does not include rigid cardboard elements, but comprises only of the bladder. In this embodiment the valve (6) locates on one side wall of the suitcase.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment where the divider comprises two cardboards (10) and the inflatable bladder (14) is in between of the cardboards. When the bladder is inflated as shown in FIG. 7, the items (13) are fixed at their places. The cardboards may be attached to the wall so as to form an angle when the bladder is infiltrated or they may be attached parallel so that they move parallel when the bladder is infiltrated.

FIG. 4 illustrates a suitcase having the valve (6) on the top wall of the suitcase. The bladder like compartment divider may be inflated with a manual pump (8) for example. FIG. 4 illustrates a suitcase having the valve (6) on the top wall (4) of the suit case and being filled with a pump (8).

According to a preferred embodiment the pump is integrated in the structure of the suitcase: at the bottom between the wheels or in the handle. FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment where the pump (8) is fixed under the suitcase, in a compartment (11) between the wheels (12). The compartment (11) may be an open or a closed one.

The person inflating the bladder shall feel the increased resistance when no more air goes into the divider. At this point the bladder like divider fills all the empty spaces in the suitcase and the items (13) packed cannot move from their original places. FIGS. 2, 7, 9 and 10 illustrate how the items (13) are fixed on their places when the bladder is inflated.

The valve may locate on any of the outside walls of the suitcase or the box. According to a preferred embodiment the valve locates outside of the wall into which the compartment divider is attached, thereby leading to the divider bladder through the side of the divider that is attached to the respective wall of the suitcase. FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment where the bladder like compartment divider is attached to a side wall (5) of the suitcase and the valve locates outside of the side wall, thereby allowing the air to enter the bladder like divider through the seam (9) along which the divider is attached to the side wall (5).

Usually the compartment divider is attached to one of the side walls (5) of the suitcase and in such suitcase the valve is preferably outside or inserted in this side wall.

According to one embodiment the valve system is locating in the handle (7) of the suitcase. According to another embodiment the valve system may be automated and the bladder like divider may be inflated by regulating an adjuster in the handle of the suitcase.

According to the embodiment where the bladder like element (14) locates in between of two cardboards (10) the bladder may be emptied by opening the valve (6) and attaching the two cardboards together with a rubber bind, a clip or other suitable element to press the cardboards together. FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment where the two cardboards (10) are attached together with a clip (15) and the bladder like element (14) is deflated.

According to the embodiment where the divider does not contain the cardboards, the bladder may be emptied by opening the valve and manually pressing the air out of the bladder.

According to still another embodiment of the invention is a box, or any type of container, used for example for mailing items, where the box contains a divider comprising a bladder like element. The divider may be attached to any of the side walls of the box or it may be attached to the cover portion of the box. FIG. 9 illustrates a box (16), where a bladder like element (14) is inflated in between of two cardboards (10). The divider comprised of the two cardboards and the bladder like element is attached in this figure to the lower part of the box.

FIG. 10 illustrates a box (16), where the divider comprising two cardboards (10) and a bladder like element (14) is attached to the cover part (17) of the box. The cardboards can be attached in a way that they form an angle when the bladder is inflated, but they can be attached also in a way that they move parallel when the bladder is infiltrated. It is also possible that the divider comprises only the bladderlike element, with only one or without the cardboards, similarly as described in connection with the suitcase embodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates yet another embodiment where the item is packed in the bladder like element it self. The bladder like element is a bag which is closed for example with a zipper (18). The bag is inflated with air via a valve (6) on the side of the bag. The bag can be deflated simply by opening the zipper. The inflatable bag according to this embodiment can be used over and over again. The bag may be used to pack fragile items without a need to wrap the items in paper or bubble plastic. The bag may be made of plastic and be transparent, or it may be made of any other suitable material.

A person skilled in the art will understand that invention according to this disclosure may be conducted with various changes without dividing from the idea of this invention. 

1. A suitcase having a compartment divider, said divider being inflatable and deflatable via a valve locating on an outer wall of the suitcase while the suitcase is closed.
 2. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the compartment divider consists of two cardboards and an inflatable bladder between the cardboards.
 3. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the compartment divider consists of one cardboard and an inflatable bladder between the divider and one wall of the suitcase.
 4. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the compartment divider is an inflatable bladder.
 5. The suitcase of claim 4, wherein the inflatable bladder is made of plastic.
 6. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the compartment divider is inflatable with a pressure pump.
 7. The suitcase of claim 6, wherein the pressure pump is attached on the suitcase.
 8. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the compartment divider comprises material extendable under temperature or pressure changes, whereby the compartment divider becomes swollen under temperature or pressure changes and protects items packed in the suitcase.
 9. A box comprising a divider, said divider being inflatable and deflatable via a valve locating on an outer wall of the box while the box is closed.
 10. The box of claim 9, wherein the compartment divider consists of two cardboards and an inflatable bladder between the cardboards.
 11. The box of claim 10, wherein one of the cardboards is one of the walls of the box.
 12. The box of claim 10, wherein the compartment divider is an inflatable bladder.
 13. The box of claim 12, wherein the inflatable bladder is made of plastic.
 14. The box of claim 9, wherein the compartment divider is inflatable with a pressure pump.
 15. A method to protect items while transporting them, said method comprising the steps of: a) inserting the items in a container; b) setting a compartment divider of the container on top of the items, said compartment divider comprising an inflatable bladder; c) optionally inserting further items on top of the compartment divider; d) closing the container; and e) pumping air in to the inflatable bladder via a valve locating on an outer wall of the container until no more air goes in via the valve;, whereby the bladder is air filled and occupies all empty space in the container.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the container is a suitcase.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the container is a box.
 18. A method to protects items while transporting them, said method consisting the steps of: a) inserting the item in a bag, b) closing the bag with an air tight closing system; c) inflating air into the closed bag via a valve locating on the bag; and d) packing inflated bags into a container for transportation.
 19. The method of claim 12, where the air tight closing system is a zipper.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the bag is made of two layers and the air is inflated in step c) in between of the two layers. 